SWEEEEEEEEEETS (open)

[Deleted]

Tenshi was now really afraid of Akarui, she stole those sweets?! Did that make her some kind of professional sweets thief?! If so then shouldn’t Suishoku stop her or something? If one is wondering why Tenshi didn’t do it herself it is simply due to one human emotion: Fear, Tenshi was far too scared of the sweets thief Akarui to actually speak out against her so she was just going to remain silent in regards to that, little did Tenshi know that it was all just a big misunderstanding. Back onto the matter of whose fault it was Tenshi still blamed herself regardless of what Akarui actually said due to the fact that was who she was as a person, Tenshi was the type to always take blame onto herself as she doesn’t like other people feeling bad because of herself.

Oh.. so the girl that had knocked her down had just bought those sweets, that was a very big relief as Tenshi thought that she had just encountered a dangerous criminal of some sort, although what sort of criminal would steal sweets? Kind of low key… unless of course they just really liked sweets which was understandable enough she supposed, Tenshi loved sweets herself after all. “A secret short cut?.. Uhm…… my name is um… Tenshi umm….” Tenshi looked to Suishoku for an answer; she didn’t think that they should follow Akarui and use her secret short cut as it seemed very suspicious and while Tenshi personally didn’t think following Akarui would be a good idea she was far too shy and self-conscious to actually express those thoughts, for herself it was far better to just follow the decision made by a much “stronger” person and by stronger she meant braver more self-confident individual like Suishoku.

[alida]

Food? Her excuse is food? Sure the school could have more variety in meals but could all these sweets be considered food? "I'd be a hypocrite if I said something," she grumbled randomly as she checked on full kimono girl. For some reason or another, she looked scared at one point then looked straight at her. What's she scared of? Did she really take that thief comment seriously earlier? Suishoku rubbed her eyes, the longer they stood around the more regretful leaving the school grounds has been. Visiting a store and coming back seriously should not take this long.

"Fine fine. I'm Suishoku and we'll take the short cut with you. Could we hurry this up a bit though before I go through the front gates to turn myself in instead?" Starts to head toward the school only to stop and wait for them again with impatience. "Right, don't know the short cut. Could you lead the way, goth loli? We don't have to do serious climbing or anything, do we?"

[xkxixaxbx]

"Hello...Shi Tenshi," said Akarui to her. Just as the descriptions that described her. Well...more like, Akarui hacked into the school system but it's not, like again, she's not the only one who's done it or is doing it. Despite the well-being of the school, there are so many things that are being processed behind the scenes. Such as students sneaking out of school without permission, which there really is no permission. Unless, one was on a mission that is but that’s a different story.

Now...turning her focus to the other girl with the quicker speech Akarui replied to her as well. "Name's Akarui, Suishoku Yuubae. Come," said Akarui as she led the way. Of course, she let it slipped her mouth of calling Suishoku by her whole name [as well as Tenshi]. In which, Akarui never really realizes she does anyway. So in the end, it didn't really matter to her. Although, she does forget that at times, it does freak people out when, not having met for the first time, calling their whole name or even just name, gives them the creeps. It's safe to say the least that there won't be much consequences for it but in a situation like this, better than nothing to make them not be late. After all, Akarui did feel sorry for bumping into them and especially, wasting time herself and upon the two girls.

”Hmm…did I just call them by their full names? Oh noes, now I’ll be looked upon as a weirdo again. Heh, if not worse, a stalker? Nah, hopefully not up to that name title. But the details that weren’t public really give off the sense of a feeling of whom each of these students are. It’s really not just the aura or presence they give off, it’s more of a spiritual feeling. I wonder…" Thought Akarui to herself.

[Deleted]

Well, the other girl seemed to want to follow the shortcut so Tenshi was going to just stick with her. A shortcut wouldn’t be that bad of a thing anyway as the three of them NEEDED to get back to the school soon or else the school’s staff would get suspicious then notice none of them where in lessons which meant the disciplinary forces would be sent out to hunt them down, Tenshi didn’t want that staining her record or else her parents would be rather… displeased with her. Wait, how did Akarui know her first name was Shi?.. She didn’t tell her… which must have meant that she couldn’t be trusted; perhaps she was a part of the school’s disciplinary forces and had just accidentally let the name slip?! Oh god, if that was true then this short cut would turn out to be part of a trap! They couldn’t get caught in the net if that was the truth!

Now terrified for her own safety she tugged at the sleeve of Suishoku worried about herself mainly but if it meant having an ally in this situation she was more than willing to worry about Suishoku, perhaps after this it would lead to the two of them becoming friends once this whole thing had blown over. “Um… how does she know our full names?....” she whispered into Suishoku’s ear with a mouse like squeak of fear. Tenshi didn’t want to alert Akarui to the fact she noticed that hence why she whispered, although if you didn’t notice that then you must have been pretty stupid. Looking back to Akarui she waved shyly from under her umbrella then gripped Suishoku’s arm as a natural reaction, when she got scared it tended to make her feel better to know that she had somebody nearby who she could hide behind and while that might be cowardly it was how Tenshi worked.

[alida]

Waiting for the goth loli to lead the way, her brow raised curiously on the formal names. If she's going to act that way... As the loli named Akarui passed her, Suishoku cleared her throat to correct on the sudden level of formality. "I believe we should refer each other properly. That will be Yuubae-san and Shi-san." While walking to follow after Akarui, who seemed to bear no family name to share, Suishoku turned her head to Tenshi as she walked with her enough to pull upon her sleeves. Confused on what the girl could want, Suishoku awkwardly leaned down to listen what she wanted to whisper about. Thankfully her parasol was held in a way that it didn't clash against her head too much.

“Um… how does she know our full names?....” That was a good question. Looking at the back of Akarui, Suishoku easily thought up two possible answers. "Well, it could be she got access to the information like my dorm mate by asking," Suishoku stated rather calmly before giving an annoyed sigh. "Or she could be a hacker and got it that way. Either way, it does count her to be a spy in a some way, doesn't it? If anything bad happens, we'll just rat her out. Don't see many goth styled lolitas around here. This isn't the other districts of Tokyo." Standing back up right once feeling her neck starts to strain from walking unevenly, Suishoku just shrugged her shoulder at Tenshi and continued to carry on with the plan of taking the short cut. They're considered doomed by now in her mind and no fancy talking was going to fix this.

[xkxixaxbx]

As Akarui made her way through most of the town, she slid into minor area of the woods. To be exact, the short cut was through behind the school walls. However, it was one of the only short cuts she knew and would only take. Since, most of the other short cuts were doors that lead elsewhere to the places she didn’t know of or even want to bother with. Safe to say that the short cut she uses was the one she only knew about. Many people had their own secret short cut they used and only bothered to share it with people they knew. Along the way nearing the short cut, she grinned as she heard whispering between them. ”I’m a hacker but not the main ones,” said Akarui straightforwardly.


Well, she couldn’t blame them to be feeling suspicious. After all, saying their full names right there and then at the time seemed extremely abnormal enough as it is. Truthfully, who in their right minds would even show a couple of strangers her or his own short cut anyway in the first place, right? However, again, Akarui felt bad for bumping into them and wasting time that could’ve transferred them back to the academy sooner. Let’s just say it was her way of paying compensation and high apologies.

Taking out her own cellphone, she was looking through the internet. Although, what was the use for it at a time like this right? Let’s just say that words get around fast…VERY FAST. From the looks of it, they won’t be too late after all. ”FYI, don’t tell the Disciplinary Committee about the short cut or you’ll have not me but other people bulling (bull charging) up to you in a flash,” warned Akarui. Which was the truth because if they find out the way she’s been using to get in and get out, it’s not her that will hold grudge against them. After all, she’s not the first and only who’s done it before. So if the disciplinary committee gets a word of this, they’ll be investigating at the ones who let it slipped. In which, Akarui would never do because she wouldn’t want to get caught into the drama anyway.

[Deleted]

Well if her "friend" was so sure to trust this Akarui person then Tenshi would as well although it was a good thing to have the backup plan of ratting her out prepared just in case she betrayed them which Tenshi would not put past Akarui due to the details of the life Tenshi had led up to this point. Tenshi removed her hand from its grip on Suishoku arm but instead held her hand tightly out of fear, she was scared of this Akarui person and very suspicious of this short cut she was leading them on but regardless of that she didn't want to be by herself so walked with Suishoku still holding her hand.

The fact that Akarui was a hacker and had hacked into the schools databases was very scary but the fact she was not the main hacker scared Tenshi even more, if their where bigger fish in the hacking pond then who knows what information they might know about Tenshi?! What if they found out about her condition?! What if they found out about the secret items she kept hidden inside her parasol?! All these what ifs started to make Tenshi panic and her brain just started to shut down due to all the stress being caused, she wasn't able to think clearly now and seemed to just hug Suishoku out of a natural reaction to fear, in the same sense that a child held onto their mother or other things similar to that.

Akarui's warning about both the disciplinary committee and being bullied did not help with Tenshi panic attack , it only served to make it even worse as she hugged Suishoku tighter before letting out a weak sounding squeak then she looked up at Suishoku "I'm scared... I don't want to get punished" Tenshi was just too afraid to take another step which was a very bad idea seeing as how currently the trio of female students where currently in the minor areas of the nearby woods which only scared Tenshi because she had heard stories of large animals living in them.

[alida]

I'm a hacker but no the main ones she says. Suishoku groaned with another annoyed sigh and eye roll. Guess the number of hackers have grown fairly well over the years. She vaugely remembered an article about online courses and even some schools teaching the basics of how to perform technical hack methods. Makes one wonder how did that get approved by university officials. Maybe the girl is one of those self taught types and joined a hacker ring. A hacker ring within the Osaka Castle? That sounds rather believable. Glancing to the trees they eventually walked into, there were a few older paper wards on some select ones. Could they be like security cameras in a way during her brief wild guess chat?

"Just what do you mean by the main ones? That isn't very clear at all besides saying you're some pawn or cheap hack flunky," Suishoku grumbled while feeling the grip on her arm lighten away just to have her hand being held. Looking back at the parasol girl again, she sighed at her inwardly. While not sure what could she be worried about, it was plain to see she was getting more scared the longer they walked along. Having her hand held didn't seem so bad though, Suishoku admitted, finding it rather nice to have a little sister figure. It wasn't till Suishoku felt a heavier weight attaching itself to her did she now stop.

Great, now for whatever reason Tenshi is having a panic. Tilting her head away in annoyance of trying to think of what could calm the girl, Suishoku resorted to having her free hand stroke Tenshi's head gently as she would have done to Fang if that damn ferret didn't hated her so much. "It's a bit late for that on being punished but you have to keep walking, okay?" Suishoku suggested even while her body only got held tighter. "C'mon, do I have to carry you? You'd have to loosen your kimono a bit if you are going to get a proper piggy-back ride." As she finished saying that to Tenshi to try calming her, she looked back to Akarui and chided sarcastically, "I thought hackers were suppose to use data threats, Hacker-san? Good luck ramming the Castle if they figure it out first after you false cannon us."

[xkxixaxbx]

Question after question was making Akarui to want to just zip her mouth. Apparently, it’s because truthfully, she wasn’t a part of any cult of the school’s or behind the scenes group – solo person. However, she also knew that if she didn’t answer questions truthfully, to the best of her knowledge. ”My first year here I’ve been gathering information about the school,” replied Akarui. Still, it didn’t sound like an efficient answer at the least. But it was something right? Although, it could’ve been a better explanation.

”If you must know, I’m not really a hacker, Yuubae-san. I said that I was a hacker because I picked up that skill and others from here and there through observations of students who have moved on from the school. I’m just a person trying to survive this school, like many other of the minorities,” answered Akarui with a straight face. This was the truth since the way that school was being organized, its system was put into question. Not by those who are blind to its content of being of a higher upper class but by the ‘behind the scenes’ operations that went unnoticed. Only those who care enough would be looking down deeper.

Much as of ”I have no intention of getting you two caught. After all, I don’t want any trouble. If I do, not only I but you two will be gaining a lot of enemies. So far, I haven’t gotten any and I don’t plan to either. Here’s a little information freebie, the outer areas of the school are dangerous. The staff members are more concerned about the school building itself first than to be worried about what the students do. Still, even you rat out on me, no matter, I got my ways to get out of it,” added Akarui as she put a blank talisman over a certain block of the building as another talisman of the one with writing on it appeared. It caused as fizz as it opened up an opening in the wall. She moved in first with only her hand still outside holding the talisman over the other. ”Well, come in.”

[Deleted]

As Tenshi was hugging her new friend she couldn’t help but also wonder about all this hacker business the other two were talking about which was kind of scary yet despite how she felt about it Tenshi was unable to actually involve herself in the conversation due to the fact she had no idea what to say, that and the fact she was too scared to say anything out of fear she would make a huge fool of herself by talking about a matter she was utterly uneducated in. Tenshi’s panic attack was only getting worse as she got caught in a spiral of thinking about this forest and the rumours she heard about it, what didn’t help matters was all the strange seals attached to the trees though, despite the fact that those seals were also covering the school Tenshi still didn’t like them even though they were used as protection against something.

After ten minutes roughly Tenshi began to calm down pulling herself together as she had been calmed down by listening to Suishoku and of course her offer a piggy back ride did seemed like it would be fun but Tenshi would have to decline as she didn’t really feel confident about loosening her kimono in the middle of this forest with two strangers she had only met that day, what if her kimono feel off and she was left naked?! That would be so embarrassing and it was the last thing that Tenshi needed today after she had recovered from her panic attack. Having her stroked was actually rather enjoyable now that the mouse like female reflected back on it.

Tenshi watched as Akarui did her stuff with the two talismans making a hole appear in the wall which meant that the trio where not far from home nor was Tenshi far from her dorm room. Normally in a situation like this she would just run away to her dorm room but due to the bad feeling she got from the forest as well as her own fear Tenshi decided to hold Suishoku’s hand again waiting for her to walk through the hole as she was far too afraid to go by herself despite how silly her fear actually was, it was just a forest after all, a big dark forest… ok so maybe it wasn’t as silly then.

[alida]

Seeing that Tenshi rejected the idea, Suishoku shrugged back. "Suite yourself. Could close that parasol a bit though or however." She commented as Akarui finished her clearing up both her and Tenshi's wild guessing about the stranger. There were a few flaws that didn't make Suishoku have any more appeal in her. For paranoid survival, and a school that should have some securities in their own databases, she did find it odd this goth girl got tips from what sounds like a good bulk of the former 3rd year students or even the graduating class before them if this girl was in her grade level or this being her 3rd year already. "Just cause you you did footwork first before learning it, doesn't that still make you a hacker now," she thought rhetorically. There was just no point in getting around the fact that the girl is a hacker, no matter how she started out. Her attempt to try explaining herself earned a groan in Suishoku's throat.

Nevertheless, Suishoku did march on after the goth girl with a partly calmed down Tenshi at her side. Now with a new path revealed, her eyes lit up on how it did appear. Could some talismans work like that as emergency exits? Or could these be a dummy set placed in by alumni grads way before them? Either way, this did look pretty cool. Now for the fun question to start this half of the trip. Where in the world could they possibly end up at now?

[xkxixaxbx]

”I’ve said too much now,” thought Akarui to herself as she awaited the girls to enter. Even though, on the other hand, it felt like her and Yuubae’s understanding of the term “hacker” didn’t match. Yes, she’s become a harcker but in a sense, it was more like an informant thing. Never the less, the most commons words have become a secret code almost, among those who do information finding. It didn’t matter to her what they thought though because she had other things to worry about. And getting anxious of the idea of configuring the real idea behind being a hacker was nothing.

However, it did frighten her every time because each seconds was like a time bomb as she stood holding that blank piece of talisman. After all, anyone or anything could have passed through without her even noticing. And she’s not going to want that to happen. Since, it is putting a bad input on her name or would. Even though she’s become one of the “hackers” it didn’t make a difference that she wasn’t affiliated with either the good or bad side. So far, it was for herself alone. As to say, a part of what she did was always for herself. Ever since first year was like that to her. It was as though she decided to be one of the lone wolves.

“Hurry up Tenshi-san or we just get caught into trouble,” said Akarui as she was already nervous enough as it is. Before she knows it, anything can happen. They could be caught or even worse, handeled by the disciplinary committee or the principal himself. The most annoying would be to be stuck with a horrible mission that ended up in her death or more worse would be almost anything she can’t think of at the moment.

[Deleted]

Having ran through the hole in the wall Tenshi was starting to walk away from the others as she needed to get to her dorm room, yes it might seem rude for her to leave the other two suddenly but Tenshi wasn’t even involved in this conversation nor was she friends with them and before people think things like “oh well why doesn’t she involve herself?” it was because of the fact that this conversation was focused upon a topic that Tenshi knew nothing about which prevented her from actually speaking about it, even if she did know about the subject matter though Tenshi was far too shy to openly speak her mind about it.

Regardless of that though she walked away from the group and headed towards her dorm room leaving the others there but she stopped and turned around for a few moments bowing her head slightly in a polite manner “Um good bye, haiu…” she said as she walked off as fast as her weak legs could carry her heading right towards her dorm room so she could put her sweets away somewhere safe and then return to her normal day of lessons.
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